October Grace
by tamaraface
Summary: AU, Miley isn't a star by any means, but Lily helps her shine. Femslash. ON HOLD.
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_Title_**: October Grace**

_Author_**: Tamara**

_A/N_**: Since I've pretty much forgotten how to write in first person, this is gonna be another third person deal. I have a tendency to write in short, choppy sentences and paragraphs. Don't know why but I can't help it, so deal. **

**This bit here is sort of a prologue to set the scene, if you will. It's a bunch of little drabble to give you background info. Nothing much is gonna happen until the next part, I'm just curious if anyone's interested in my continuing.**

**Comments are greatly appreciated, even criticism so long as it's constructive. Thank you and enjoy.**

_Disclaimer_**: Standard applies, I do not own Hannah Montana or anything/anyone affiliated therewith. This fic does contain femslash, i.e. female/female parings. If that bothers you, don't continue. If it's illegal where you live, move quickly. If you're not of age, that's too bad. Don't leave me reviews saying this it's wrong or disgusting or whatever, then don't bother, okay? Okay.**

_Summary_**: AU. Miley Stewart isn't Hannah Montana, she's just a small town girl from Tennessee that moves to Malibu. This is what follows.

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Miley throws up her hands and her splayed fingers scatter the golden sunlight over her head. She's belting the words to "Achy Breaky Heart" but her dad's doing a lot better with the words since he all but idolized Billy Ray Cyrus in his youth. Even Jackson behind her is humming and Miley thinks this is the happiest she's been in a long time. Maybe, just maybe this move won't be so bad after all.

Then Miley sees the house. It doesn't look like it did in the picture. In the picture it looked demure but elegant, now it looks empty and daunting. It's a house and Miley wants a home. But she keeps her mouth shut, she's good at that. Stiff upper lip and all. Her dad wants this to work, so Miley does too. And it's not that awful, or it won't be once she gets used to it. She doesn't even have to fight Jackson for the bigger bedroom, so things are looking up. And when Miley looks up she sees a skylight. She hopes for a clear night, so she can see the stars.

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Miley's head bumps the seatback when the car stops. Every time she gets into the car with Jackson, she swears it's her last and yet she keeps ending up in the passenger seat with white knuckles and a racing heartbeat. Even though Jackson has always been careful with her, or almost always, the boy can't be careful behind the wheel. Sometimes Miley can't believe he managed to get his license. If the school had been within walking distance, she would've hoofed it but as luck would have it, it was on the other side of town. The good side. Miley's just thankful Jackson's old car has functioning seatbelts.

She doesn't have too much trouble finding her classrooms but finding a seat at lunch proves almost impossible. Jackson doesn't have lunch this period and probably wouldn't sit with Miley if he did. Miley sucks at being the new kid. She decides to dump her lunch and head for the library. She wasn't that excited about the meatloaf surprise anyway. She likes her meatloaf surprise-free.

When she walks into the library, Miley thinks she's come home. One benefit of a big school? Big library. Miley contents herself in the stacks, buries herself among the volumes and editions and she feels better. The poets have a grace with words that Miley is all too happy to wrap herself in, so she sits alone, on the floor against a bookcase, with a heart in her hands. And Miley's happy.

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There's a law against cruel and unusual punishment, isn't there? Miley's positive it's in the Constitution somewhere. She's only been in school a couple weeks, but she's sure of it. So then why does her school see fit to teach Chemistry to fourteen-year-olds? If you don't actually plan on being a chemist, what good is it to know the atomic weight of beryllium? Really, chemistry is just math with words. And Miley hates math. You can't make sentences with numbers and you can't compose with elements. There's no practical use for either subject as far as Miley can see. She understands basic arithmetic and has learned physical science. She doesn't need the rest. That doesn't mean she won't get an A, though. After all, chemistry is just math with words. And Miley is good with words.

This class is entirely manageable if Miley puts her mind to it and right now, it's got nowhere else to go. Miley takes a seat at an empty lab table and pulls out her notebook and pen. She's so busy writing, she doesn't notice the seat next to her gets filled until the bells rings and she looks up. A blonde head is obstructing her view of the board and the girl attached to it is chattering incessantly with the boy at the table in front of them. Miley tries to see around her and all but falls out of her chair.

Their teacher clears his throat loudly and begins to deliver the day's lesson. He mentions finally that he hopes they've all chosen their seats well because surprise, surprise, they were stuck with those lab partners for the rest of the semester. There are collective groans of disappointment and excited squeals when the girl next to Miley turns to face her. She smiling and grabs Miley's hand for a shake, says happily that her name is Lily. Miley knows she should probably return the gesture, maybe even offer her name, but she can't seem to remember it. It's been too long since she was welcomed amiably that Miley's at a loss for words. Which is weird because she's usually so good with them.

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**Continue? Comments, suggestions, hit that button and let me know.**


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**A/N: Since this is my first for this fandom, it's going to be short. I'm trying to keep this story up before I lose interest, but I'd be less likely to do so if I got a more positive response. Translation: please review. Tell me what you like, what you don't. What you want to see, what you don't. Just tell me something.**

**Disclaimer: See part the first.**

Miley watches Lily and takes a seat on her bed. When her father had yelled down the hall that Miley had company, she almost didn't believe him. And now Lily's here, in her room, and Miley has no idea what to say. But Lily does and that makes it easier. She asks questions as she moves about Miley's room, about Miley and her family and whatever comes under her roving fingertips. She's smiling the whole time and it eases Miley's nerves.

When Lily picks up a framed photo from Miley's nightstand, Miley rises and gently takes it from her, carefully puts it back. Lily asks if that's Miley's mom.

"Yeah."

"She's pretty."

"She was."

Lily looks up with a furrowed brow and Miley clarifies. "She died."

Miley changes the subject before Lily can tell her how sorry she is and Lily lets her. It's Miley's turn to ask questions and she's really surprised at how much they have to talk about, how much they have in common. The conversation doesn't stall into awkward pauses and Miley's talking more to Lily than she has to anyone all year. Miley thinks she really likes Lily and she finds herself telling Lily things she hasn't told anyone and Miley can't quite understand how someone who's just barely fourteen can be so completely charming.

When Robbie Ray knocks on Miley's door, he tells them that it's after eight and Lily should be getting on home. Lily is sad to go, but Miley walks her home. The only thing separating their houses is about a quarter mile of beach. The whole stroll down, Lily is walking backwards so she can look at Miley while she talks. As Miley expected, Lily tripped. When Miley stretches out a hand steady her, Lily pulls her down too.

The sand is warm under Miley's back and Lily is warm on Miley's front. Miley isn't sure how she ended up beneath her but it doesn't matter because Lily's up and off her and apologizing before Miley can open her mouth. The rest of the walk is silent and Miley just wants Lily to start talking to her again, but when they reach Lily's doorstep and she hugs her goodbye, Miley thinks it's really nice to have a friend again.

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Lily is waiting for her when Miley gets to class the next day and she's talking to the boy from the day before. His name is Oliver Oaken and he says something about being "smokin" until Lily smacks him and he shuts up. Miley still says it's nice to meet him. They struggle through a lecture about composition and Lily doesn't understand why exactly the elements would bond when mixed, so Miley explains because she understands about inexplicable attraction.

After school they go to the beach. The sky is overcast and it isn't too warm, so the crowd has thinned. Oliver gets kind of bored and wanders away to pick up girls, or try to, and Lily and Miley sit in the sand which is okay because Miley likes Lily's company better.

Lily pulls a poetry anthology from Miley's backpack and asks her about it. The pages are thumbed and dog-eared because Miley's read it so much and she's a little embarrassed about how nerdy that makes her look. Lily doesn't think it's stupid and listens when Miley talks about it. Miley tells her that her mom used to read her poetry when she little and how it helped her dad write songs. Lily scoots a bit closer when a breeze cools the air.

"It's cold."

"Yeah," Miley says. "But I like it."

"You like the cold?"

"Yeah. Back home, it always cools down around October. It's nice when it's not humid and you know the seasons are changing, turning slowly. There's just something graceful about it. Beautiful."

"Like now?" Lily asks, turning.

"Yeah." Miley says. "Like now."

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Since it's Friday and it's already late, Miley's dad suggests Lily just spend the night. When Lily agrees it makes Miley uneasy and she doesn't know why. Something about the prospect of sharing quarters, or possibly even a bed, makes Miley anxious and it shouldn't because she and Lily are friends and friends share things.

They're curled up on the floor in front of Miley's TV watching some scary movie an hour later. Someone loses a head on screen but Miley's attention is less focused the guy in a hockey mask and more on the hand that's tightly holding hers. When the credits roll, Miley decides she'll hold on to Lily's hand until she decides to let go first. Really, it's just because she hasn't been this close to anyone in so long and it's nice. That's all it is.

Then, oh. That's all Miley thinks.

Oh: Lily closed the space between them.

Oh: Their lips connect.

Oh: This is what kissing feels like.

Lily's mouth is soft and warm and Miley just wants to lose herself in the pleasure of it all. Then there's something at the back of Miley's mind. Pulling or whispering until Miley pulls back. She has to stand up, put some space between them or she's going to lean in again for more. It makes sense now. Miley didn't get it before, but now she does.


End file.
